Deck 10: Ocean Ecosystems

Question 1

Coral bleaching always kills corals.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Mangrove forests are dominated by saltwater-tolerant shrubs and trees that grow at all latitudes.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Green wavelengths of light travel deepest in seawater.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Organisms that make their own light are called bioluminescent.

Question 5

Mangrove forests are important because they function as nurseries for many species of fish.

Question 6

The global fish catch by people has declined in recent decades even though there are more boats in the water trying to catch more fish.

Question 7

Evaporation decreases the salinity of surface ocean water.

Question 8

Coastal dead zones are caused only by human activities.

Question 9

Seagrass meadows are composed of true grasses that have evolved to live submerged in salt water in coastal areas.

Question 10

Estuaries are commercially valuable because they provide habitat for adult commercial fish species.

Question 11

Polar waters have low biological productivity because they are so cold.

Question 12

There are no saltwater-tolerant trees in estuaries.

Question 13

Seafloor topography is called bathymetry.

Question 14

Corals are closely related to jellyfish.

Question 15

At the thermocline, surface water transitions to cold water deeper down.

Question 16

Seawater salinity comes from streams that flow into the oceans.

Question 17

The oceans have an important effect on Earth's weather and climate.

Question 18

Bycatch is intentional catching of targeted marine organisms.

Question 19

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch forms because of ocean gyres.

Question 20

Hydrothermal vent communities do not depend on sunlight as an energy source.

Question 21

Sea turtles can be killed when they eat plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish.

Question 22

The open waters ecosystem covers about 10% of Earth's surface.

Question 23

Coral bleaching occurs when corals are stressed and unhealthy.

Question 24

Compared to lower latitudes, polar coastal waters are relatively little influenced by people.

Question 25

Ocean water acidity is increasing because of human burning of fossil fuels.

Question 26

Phytoplankton are primary consumers.

Question 27

Estuaries occur only at the mouths of rivers where fresh and salt water mix and there is a tidal influence.

Question 28

All corals live in shallow tropical waters and build reefs.

Question 29

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch was first detected by satellites.

Question 30

Phytoplankton include plants, algae, and bacteria.

Question 31

Shark fin soup threatens sharks worldwide.

Question 32

Coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystem.

Question 33

The abyssal plains are biologically rich and productive areas of the ocean.

Question 34

The average ocean salinity is 5%.

Question 35

Hydrothermal communities are not very biologically diverse.

Question 36

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world.

Question 37

A seamount is an isolated mountain that rises from the seafloor.

Question 38

Which is the least important form of sample collection in the open ocean?

A)trawling nets
B)ROVs
C)photo documentation
D)manned submersibles

Question 39

Coastal dead zones are areas of coastal water with extremely high levels of oxygen.

Question 40

Filter-feeding organisms ingest plastic and may transfer toxins in the plastic to marine food webs.

Question 41

Organisms that are pelagic __________.

A)occupy high trophic levels
B)live in coastal areas
C)live in the open sea
D)reproduce quickly

Question 42

Which statement is not true of most warm-water, reef-building corals?

A)They are obligate mutualists with algae.
B)They are tolerant of low salinity levels.
C)They require water that is between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius.
D)They require high levels of light.

Question 43

Fishery collapse occurs when a population of fish declines to __________ percent of its former levels.

A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40

Question 44

A __________ is mostly enclosed by land like a bay, but it is much larger.

A)gulf
B)sea
C)strait
D)sound

Question 45

The oldest ocean is the __________ Ocean.

A)Pacific
B)Atlantic
C)Indian
D)Arctic

Question 46

The large circular ocean currents in the ocean basins are called __________.

A)gyres
B)thermoclines
C)seamounts
D)eddies

Question 47

__________ occurs when fish are taken from the oceans faster than the population can reproduce.

A)Unsustainable fishing
B)Commercial fishing
C)Sustainable fishing
D)Ocean trawling

Question 48

Which is not one of the characteristics of estuaries?

A)extensive mudflats
B)low primary productivity
C)used by migratory bird species
D)dominated by herbaceous plants

Question 49

Organisms migrate from depths to the surface at night mainly to do what?

A)feed
B)mate
C)obtain oxygen
D)avoid predation

Question 50

Which lettered location on the map shows the warmest water?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 51

Why are seamounts biologically rich and productive?

A)because they are surrounded by productive waters
B)because they create turbulence in ocean currents that stir up nutrients from the seafloor to the surface
C)because they are closer to the sunlit layers of the ocean where more organisms live
D)because organisms congregate around them to get their bearings during migration

Question 52

__________ suspends large nets in the upper reaches of the ocean.

A)Drift net fishing
B)Trawling
C)Longline fishing
D)Seine fishing

Question 53

Which is one of the adaptations to salt water found in mangrove trees and shrubs?

A)They have deep tap root systems.
B)They build reef structures.
C)They exude salt from pores on their leaves.
D)They live only above the high-tide line.

Question 54

At 30 meters depth there are __________ kilograms of water pressure for every square centimeter.

A)1
B)3
C)6
D)9

Question 55

The __________ Ocean is mostly ice-covered.

A)Pacific
B)Atlantic
C)Arctic
D)Southern

Question 56

Light penetrates up to __________ meters in seawater.

A)120
B)180
C)250
D)300

Question 57

__________ entraps fish with a large net.

A)Drift net fishing
B)Trawling
C)Longline fishing
D)Seine fishing

Question 58

Which kelp type forms kelp forests?

A)green kelp
B)tan kelp
C)red kelp
D)orange kelp

Question 59

The most important factor that has historically caused the loss of estuaries has been __________.

A)destructive fishing
B)urban settlement
C)coastal erosion
D)shrimp farms

Question 60

Which is not a threat to beaches?

A)development and urban settlement
B)pollution runoff
C)burial by too much sand
D)non-native species

Question 61

The bathypelagic zone occurs at a depth of __________ meters.

A)0 to 200
B)200 to 1,000
C)1,000 to 4,000
D)4,000 to 6,000

Question 62

Most of the world's remaining mangroves are found in __________.

A)Asia
B)Africa
C)Oceania
D)South America

Question 63

Which wavelength of light travels deepest in seawater?

A)red
B)orange
C)yellow
D)blue

Question 64

The lighted surface region is the __________ zone.

A)epipelagic
B)mesopelagic
C)bathypelagic
D)hadal

Question 65

Referring to the map, which statement describes the temperature profile of ocean water for the equator?

A)Water temperature is cold at all depths.
B)Water temperature is warm at all depths.
C)Water temperature is higher near the surface than at depth.
D)Surface water temperature is the highest of any latitude because it receives the most insolation.

Question 66

The flat plains on the ocean floor are called __________.

A)abyssal plains
B)mid-ocean ridges
C)seamounts
D)continental shelves

Question 67

Which lettered box in the figure points to seamounts?

A)C
B)D
C)F
D)G

Question 68

About __________ percent of all plastic made is recycled.

A)5 to 10
B)10 to 20
C)20 to 30
D)30 to 40

Question 69

A __________ is a long body of deep water that usually forms an inlet or connects two seas.

A)gulf
B)sea
C)strait
D)sound

Question 70

The epipelagic zone occurs at a depth of __________ meters.

A)0 to 200
B)200 to 1,000
C)1,000 to 4,000
D)4,000 to 6,000

Question 71

Between 1980 and 2000, __________ percent of the world's mangrove forests were cut down by people.

A)20
B)30
C)40
D)50

Question 72

About __________ percent of plastic that enters the oceans eventually sinks to the seafloor.

A)50
B)60
C)70
D)80

Question 73

The "shark café" is probably a place where sharks __________.

A)feed
B)mate
C)avoid predation
D)get their bearings using Earth's magnetic field

Question 74

Why do many deep-sea fish have reflective silver scales?

A)to attract prey
B)to attract predators
C)to break their silhouette in the faint light
D)to reflect light to confuse predators

Question 75

About __________ percent of all plastic made is disposed of in landfills.

A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40

Question 76

Anthropogenic coastal dead zones are caused by __________.

A)excessive use of fertilizers on farms far from the coast
B)coastal pollution from cities
C)coastal oil spills
D)overfishing

Question 77

Which lettered location on the map shows the coldest water?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 78

What season has the highest biological productivity in polar waters?

A)spring\early summer
B)summer
C)late summer\early fall
D)fall

Question 79

A(n) __________ runs parallel to the shoreline and forms a deep-water lagoon behind it.

A)fringing reef
B)barrier reef
C)atoll
D)shelf reef

Question 80

__________ drags nets through the water column or along the seafloor.

A)Drift net fishing
B)Trawling
C)Longline fishing
D)Seine fishing